Elon Musk says there's 'no need' for Tesla to buy Uber, and the reason is the company's rival to Google Waymo
CEO
Elon Musk
dismissed speculation about acquiring
Uber
, saying the electric vehicle maker has "all the ingredients necessary" to launch its own
autonomous ride-hailing
fleet that will compete directly with
Waymo
and other self-driving services. In a CNBC interview, Musk outlined his vision for Tesla's autonomous ride-hailing service, describing a "combination of a Tesla-owned fleet and also enabling
Tesla owners
to be able to add or subtract their car to the fleet" for autonomous use. This would allow Tesla owners to earn money when they're not using their vehicles.
"I think it's maybe possible for Tesla owners to make more in allowing the car to be added to the self-driving fleet than it costs them in the lease," Musk told CNBC's
David Faber
, comparing the business model to "some combination of Airbnb and Uber."
Tesla's robotaxi service launching next month in Austin
After years of delays, Tesla plans to debut its invitation-only
robotaxi service
in Austin next month using its FSD Unsupervised software, which doesn't require a driver behind the wheel.
"We'll start with probably 10 for a week, then increase it to 20, 30, 40," Musk said. "It will probably be at 1,000 within a few months."
When asked if Tesla needed to improve its technology before launching a large-scale robotaxi service, Musk was confident: "I don't think we're missing anything."
The announcement comes as competition in the autonomous ride-hailing space heats up. Alphabet's Waymo already offers robotaxis on Uber's platform in Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, while Lyft has partnered with companies like May Mobility and Mobileye to begin offering autonomous vehicles this summer.
Tesla's entry into the autonomous ride-hailing market represents a significant expansion of its business model and potential revenue streams. With "millions of cars that will be able to operate autonomously," Musk believes Tesla can build a vast self-driving fleet without acquiring established ride-sharing companies like Uber.
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